62 BEES OF GREAT BRITAIN. 



men more elongate, and having a griseous pubescence on each 

 side towards the base, and a little rufo-fuscous pubescence at 

 the apex. B.M. 



This very marked species appears to be generally distributed ; 

 it is one of the early spring bees. The females prefer the flowers 

 of the common Dandelion, in which they cover themselves with 

 pollen. Var. a. was formerly considered to be a separate species, 

 but observation has proved that it is only an extreme variety. 



13. Andrena vitrea. 



A. atra, subvillosa; thorace pallido-villoso ; scopa fulva. 

 Andrena vitrea, Smith, Zool v. 1737. 18 ? . 



Female. Length 6 lines. Black ; the pubescence on the face 

 fuscous, intermixed with a few fulvous hairs ; the thorax thinly 

 clothed above with fulvous pubescence, beneath and on the 

 femora it is paler ; the wings fulvo-hy aline, the nervures pale 

 ferruginous ; the scopa fulvous, the floccus pale fulvous ; the 

 legs otherwise have a fuscous pubescence above, that on the 

 tarsi beneath dark ferruginous, the claws ferruginous. Abdo- 

 men ovate, smooth and shining, the apical fimbria black ; be- 

 neath, the second segment has a rufous spot, sometimes the 

 entire sides are rufous. 



Of this very distinct species there is a fine series in Mr. Des- 

 vignes' collection ; their precise locality is not known, but pro- 

 bably they came from the neighbourhood of Windsor. 



14. Andrena albicans. 



A. nigra, albicanti-subvillosa ; thorace anoque ferrugineis ; tibiis 

 posticis fulvis. 



Melitta albicans, Kirby, Mon. Ap. Angl ii. 94. 45 $ y . 

 Andrena albicans, St. Farg. Hym. ii. 242. 10. 



Smith, Zool. v. 1734. 12. 



Nyland. Ap. Boreal, p. 215. 11. 



Female. Length 5 lines. Black; the face clothed with gri- 

 seous pubescence, thinly on the clypeus, which is coarsely punc- 

 tured and has a longitudinal smooth line down the centre. 

 Thorax clothed above with ferruginous pubescence, on the 

 sides and beneath it is pallid ; the wings hyaline, their apical 

 margins slightly clouded ; the posterior tibiae and tarsi fulvous ; 



